Changing the Courts in Zimbabwe
The Customary Law and Primary Courts Act
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 16767908 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Andrew Ladley (corresponding author) |
| Year | 1982 |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 95-114 |
| Publication date | 1982-01-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of African Law (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0221-8553 • E-ISSN: 1464-3731 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0021855300013097 |
| OpenAlex | W2163845661 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 3 |
In February, 1981, the Customary Law and Primary Courts Bill was “celebrated” into law by the Parliament of Zimbabwe. It was swept into being with the reforming fervour which the new government brought to an independent Zimbabwe. The debating chambers, and loudspeakers at country-wide mass rallies, echoed with condemnations of the previous customary court structures and with the promise of popular justice and people's courts. Whether the legislation was “revolutionary” is arguable, but the atmosphere of its birth is an important indicator of its nature—a people's government was providing for a people's law. This article is mainly concerned with the changes in court structure and jurisdiction brought about by the Customary Law and Primary Courts Act. However, some observations on the early life of the primary courts, and on other matters of law reform in Zimbabwe, are necessary in order to breathe life into the legislative discussion. Many of these observations are personal—gleaned from field research into the primary courts in Zimbabwe between April, 1982, and February, 1983
Common law · Government (linguistics) · Jurisdiction · Law reform · Legislation · Legislature · Parliament · Political science · Politics · African studies and sociopolitical issues · Land Rights and Reforms · Law · Legal Issues in South Africa
| Citations per year | 0.06 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 1990 - 1990 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |